Tie and rail holder



Patented Nov. 30', 1920.

INVENTOR. JOHN AHl-BY A TTORNEY JOHN AHLIBY, OF ON'IONAGON, MICHIGAN.

TIE AND RAIL HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1920.

Application filed March 29, 1920. Serial No. 369,786.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, J OHN AHLBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ontonagon, in the county of Ontonagon and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tie and Rail Holders, of which the following is a specification.

Iy invention relates to rail laying equipment and the object is to provide simple and efiicient means for holding a railway rail in steady and proper position on a tie while rail spikes are being driven into the tie. The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the rail holder, shown as holding together a rail and tie.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the device or as seen from the left in Fig. 2.

Flg. 3 is a top view of the device as seen in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the member (10).

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, 5 designates a tie 011 which is positioned a rail 6 adapted to be spiked thereto. Two lever tongs 7 and 8 are pivotally mounted on a bolt 9 in a bifurcated lever member 10 having a suitable lever or handle 11. A fulcrum bar 12 having a handle 13 at its upper end and a grooved rail engag ing part 14: at its lower end is slidably mounted in the member 10 and is provided with a series of notches 15 adapted to engage a suitable bolt or pivot 16. A block 17 is pivoted at one end to the bolt 9 and near the other end is provided with an aperture 18 through which slidably operates a curved link 19 which ends engage the upper ends of the lever tongs 7 and 8. A connecting link 20 is pivotably secured at one end to the block 17 and has its other end detachably secured in any one of a series of holes 21 in the bar 12. A handle 22 is provided at the upper end of the lever 7.

The handles 13 and 22 furnish convenient means for handling and operating the device. The curvcd link 19 causes the lever tongs 7 and 8 to operate simultaneously in opposite directions, the block 17 being held in steady, relative position to thebar 12 by the link 20. When it is desired to hold the rail 6 to the tie 5 for the purpose already mentioned the fulcrum bar 12 is first adjusted to the proper position on the bolt 16 and the tongs 7 and 8 are engaged under the tie 5. Pressure is then brought to bear down on the handle 11 at which time spikes may be driven into the tie safely without causing it or the rail to slip out of their predetermined positions.

aving now fully shown and described my invention what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for holding a tie and rail together, consisting of a suitable pair of tongs adapted to engage under the tie, a rail engaging member positioned near said tongs, a hand lever and pivotal connection between the same and said tongs and between the same and said rail engaging member, means for constantly retaining said tongs and said rail engaging member in proper relative positions.

2. A device for holding a tie and rail together, consisting of a suitable pair of tongs adapted to engage under the tie, a rail engaging member positioned near said tongs, a hand lever and pivotal connection between the same and said tongs and between the same and said rail engaging member, means for constantly retaining said tongs and said rail engaging member in proper relative positions, means for actuating one of said tongs in opposite direction upon moving of the other tong.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN AHLBY. 

